Apparition
by whinychester
Summary: " I don't want you to love me at all. You're a Prescott. "
1. Soundtrack

**MAYBE WE FEEL EMPTY BECAUSE WE LEAVE PIECES OF OURSELVES IN EVERYTHING WE USED TO LOVE**

 **PLAYLIST ;**

 _ **hello there, the angel from my nightmare**_  
 _I Miss You_ \- Blink-182

 _ **never stop until you love me, even if you treat me cold**_  
 _It's Just Forever_ \- Cage the Elephant

 _ **it's my party and i'll cry to the end, you must try harder than kissing all my friends, you**_  
 _You_ \- the 1975

 _ **hold me down, hold me down; sneaking out the back door, make no sound**_  
 _Hold Me Down_ \- Halsey

 _ **i want all that is not mine, i want him but we're not right**_  
 _Smother_ \- Daughter

 _ **i ain't blind, just a matter of time before you steal it**_  
 _Gold On the Ceiling_ \- The Black Keys

 _ **we're hell raising and we don't need saving**_

 _Problem_ \- Natalia Kills

 _ **i fell in love today**_  
 _Flawless_ \- The Neighbourhood

 _ **sorry about the things that i said, always let it get to my head**_  
 _Carried Away_ \- Passion Pit

 _ **you have to take me right now, from this dark trailer park life now**_  
 _Yayo_ \- Lana Del Rey

 _ **sweeteyes i already miss you, and you only just walked out the door**_  
 _I Already Miss You_ \- The Kooks

 _ **do me a favour, tell me to go away!**_  
 _Do Me A Favour_ \- Arctic Monkeys

 **i** _ **wish you'd stop ignoring me because it's sending me to despair**_  
 _I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor_ \- Arctic Monkeys

 _ **catch my hand, i'll be fightin' for ya**_  
 _Let Me In_ \- Grouplove

 _ **yeah i think about the end way too much, but it's fun to fantasize**_  
 _Ride_ \- Twenty One Pilots

— _i don't know how many people are going to read this, but if you are, hi! these are a few songs i believe fit in with the story. i'm really excited to write this, and yes, it's a nathanxoc fic. i don't know_ why _nathan's character intrigues me so much – it's definitely a problem – but he's so complex and i'm really excited for this story. it'll be pretty short, and since episode 5 hasn't come out yet, i don't know how frequent these chapters will be. if you haven't heard of the game_ life is strange _i highly recommend looking up some game playthroughs on youtube (i recommend cryaotic personally, but you can watch from whomever you wish). thanks again, and i'll speak w you all again in the first chapter:-)_


	2. One: Silence

▶ _ **silence**_

She barges into the classroom, a bright grin stretched across her face. The door clangs loudly against the wall. The man standing in the middle of the class stops mid-sentence, turning his head among many others. Her grin doesn't fade when he meets her gaze with wide-eyes.

"Hey, Uncle Mark, guess who's back?"

Silence follows her question. Deafening silence. She doesn't mind. Her smile still tugs at the sides of her lips, aching, but she ignores that as well as she turns, glancing at the other students. She recognizes all of them, except for one—she sits at a table in the middle of the class. She looks dazed at first, but upon meeting the new girl's eyes, she sits a little straighter. She shifts awkwardly in her seat as she pushes her carry-on camera aside. The unknown girl watches her carefully, assuming she had missed something before coming in, before she glances back at her Uncle, who is still staring at her as if he's seen a ghost. This time she frowns, tilting her head to the side as if to emphasize her confusion.

"Oh, sorry!" She blinks, a small smile now crossing her face. "I should probably be calling you _Mr. Jefferson_ , here, right?"

He remains quiet. He blinks, then says: "Alana."

It's not a question. It's a statement. Despite the quizzical look in his dark eyes, Alana nods, like she is confirming the fact that Alana is, _indeed_ , her name then looks back at the students. She spots Victoria Chase at a table near the new student she doesn't recognize—her mouth is slightly agape, as if she doesn't recognize her. Alana grins Victoria's way.

"Hey, Vic, it's been a while, huh?"

Victoria doesn't say anything. Instead she exchanges a look with Courtney and Taylor, her bitch of a posse. The dark-haired girl doesn't mind, though, as she glances back at her Uncle— _excuse me_ , Mr. Jefferson.

She holds his gaze for a moment before her eyes widen slightly. "Oh, shit—I mean shoot. I interrupted your lecture, didn't I?"

Jefferson blinks, as if recollecting himself, then nods. "Oh, um, that doesn't matter…Alana." She smiles brightly again as he clears his throat, as if trying to make the awkward _deafening_ silence go away. "Class…this is my niece…Alana Jefferson, but most of you—"

"—Already know me," Alana finishes. She smiles, nodding back to her uncle before she turns again, facing the class. The quizzical looks on their faces seemed to have died down as she meets the gaze of Kate Marsh. She is the first to smile warmly at her. Alana hadn't forgotten her—it was hard to forget the sweet, religious-driven young woman. She steps forward, taking a seat at Kate's empty table. She glances back at Jefferson, waiting for him to start the lecture once more. He is still watching her, gaze indescribable. Alana merely smiles, crossing her legs as she waits for him to begin.

He clears his throat again. "So…uh, where was I?" He hesitates for a moment before nodding to himself. "Ah, that's right—the point I was making remains as this: the portraiture has always been a vital aspect of art, and photography, for as long as it's been around." He glances to the girl sitting in front of him. "Now, Max, since you obviously look as if you want to be a part of the conversation, can you please tell us the name of the process that gave birth to the first self-portraits?"

The girl Alana hadn't recognized, Max, shifts awkwardly in her chair once again. When Jefferson gives her a look, she says, "I did know…but now I forgot."

Jefferson hits his hand against the desk he's leaning against. "You either know this or you don't, Max."

Alana watches her uncle for a moment, considerably, before she looks back at Max. When she doesn't say anything, Jefferson looks around the classroom. "Is there anybody here who knows their stuff?"

Alana raises her hand. Jefferson pointedly ignores her. " _Except_ for Alana."

She rolls her eyes. She hears Kate laugh lightly under her breath. Alana glances at her, exchanging an amused look, before Jefferson nods to Victoria, who raises her hand high and proud.

"Louis Daguerre was a French painter who created ' _daguerro types_ ', a process that gave portraits a sharp, reflective style like a mirror." She smiles triumphantly before sneering Max's way. "Now you're _totally_ stuck in the Retro Zone. Sad face."

Alana frowns slightly, then glances Kate's way. She avoids her gaze. Glancing back at Victoria and Max, Alana wonders how much has changed since she was gone. _Probably a lot_. Blackwell was always a terrible place to be.

Her uncle seems to ignore Victoria's taunting as he nods in approval. "Very good, Victoria," he says, making Alana want to roll her eyes all the way back into her head. "The Daguerreian Process brought out fine detail in people's faces, making them extremely popular from the 1800s and onward." He shifts, leaning farther back on his hands as he adds, "The First American daguerreotype self-portrait was done by Robert Cornelius. Can anyone tell me anything interesting about Cornelius?"

Alana raises her hand again. Almost all of this was embedded in her brain, seemingly. When Mark Jefferson was a member of your family, one would grow accustomed to these sorts of things. This time her uncle glances her way, nodding his head, giving her permission to answer. She notices he still seems hesitant about her arrival. She lowers her hand, sitting a bit straighter.

"He was the father of eight children," she says. A smirk crosses her lips as she adds, "I guess you could say _dick too bomb_."

Her classmates snort with laughter. She glances Max's way and sees her expression brighten. Even Victoria is grinning. She looks back at Jefferson as he lets out a sigh, shaking his head slightly.

"Of course," he says. "Trust Lana to make _that_ joke."

Alana is still smirking as she adds, "On a more educational note, he was into chemistry and metallurgy, and with the help of his chemist friend Paul Beck Goddard, he was able to perfect the daguerreotype. He also was approached by Joseph Saxton to create a silver plate for his daguerreotype for a central high school in Philadelphia, and that sparked his interest in photography."

"Well done, Alana." Jefferson turns back to the class as he continues with his lecture, noting that the others could find out more about Cornelius in their textbooks and online. He continues with his lecture, and Alana glances Kate's direction. Her blonde friend smiles, mouthing a _show off_ her way. Alana merely rolls her eyes, turning to watch the rest of the classroom. She notices that Max is staring at her desk once more, obviously not listening to the lecture either, while Victoria and her friends sit tall and proud at their desk.

Before Jefferson is able to finish his lecture, the bell cuts him off. Immediately the students are rising to their feet, stuffing their belongings away as he calls out: "And guys, don't forget the deadline to submit a photo in the "Everyday Heroes" contest. I'll fly out with the winner to San Francisco where you'll be feted by the art world." As more students begin to walk out of the door he adds, "It's great exposure and it can kick start a career in photography." He points to two girls shoving their way to the door. "So, Stella and Alyssa, pull yourselves together." He then glances back at Max. "And yes Max, I see you pretending not to see me." He then turns, heading back to his desk, as he avoids Alana's eyes once more. She huffs irritably, annoyed that her uncle isn't _overjoyed_ to see her again, before she rises to her feet. Kate is a bit slower, as she gathers her things together. Alana waits for her, leaning against the table. She notices as her friend puts her head in her hands, suddenly, staring blankly.

"Kate," she says, frowning. "Are you okay?"

Kate blinks, raising her head. She meets Alana's gaze warily, before forcing a smile. She nods. "Yeah…I guess. Sort of."

Alana frowns. "That's not very convincing, you know."

Kate shrugs. She stares at her desk once more, and Alana bites her lip. What _did_ happen while she was gone? She frowns, still sitting against the table as she waits for her friend to recollect herself. She barely notices Max has walked by.

"Hi, Kate," she says, gaining both Alana and Kate's attention. They look at her. Kate manages another smile.

"Oh, hi Max."

"You seem quiet today," comments Max. Kate shrugs, looking slightly upset about something. Alana narrows her eyes, watching her carefully.

"Just thinking too much…"

"I hear that," Max smiles slightly. She waits for a moment before adding, "Want to grab a cup o' tea and bitch about life?"

Alana laughs slightly, gaining her attention. She glances her way, smiling.

"Alana Jefferson, right?"

She nods. "And you're Max…right?"

She smiles slightly. Alana holds out her hand. "Welcome to Blackwell."

Max laughs awkwardly, shaking her hand. "Welcome back…and I'm not very new here…" Alana frowns slightly as she adds, "We had this class together before…? And I think math, too…"

Alana continues to frown before her eyes widen in realization. "Oh shit. I'm so sorry, Max…I barely noticed—"

Max waves her hand, as if too shake off the subject. "It's okay. I didn't really talk to you, anyway. I was kind of intimidated, to be honest," she admits. Alana smiles slightly, still feel embarrassed.

"Why's that? I'm the least intimidating person ever." She grabs a hold of Kate's shoulder, who jumps slightly, but then relaxes under her touch. "Ask Katie here."

Max glances her way. Kate merely shrugs, smiling a little wider now. Max bites the side of her lip, meeting Alana's gaze again. She sways slightly, as if slightly uncomfortable. "I don't know…it's just…you're Mark Jefferson's niece…and you're nearly as talented as him and you're basically my age…so…"

Alana snorts, rolling her eyes. "I'll never be as talented as my sadistic uncle, trust me." She glances over her shoulder, watching as Victoria speaks with him, quite flirtatiously as well. Alana bites her lip, resisting the urge to make a snide remark, before turning back to Max and Kate. "But I'm glad we're talking now, Max. Seriously. You seem way cool."

Max smiles, looking slightly flustered. "Thanks, Alana. You seem way cool, too." She looks back at Kate, who smiles at her.

"I don't know if I can get that tea with you today, Max," she says, "I have to go over homework." Her smile fades slightly as she looks back at her desk. Alana watches her suspiciously, but doesn't say anything.

"No worries," Max says. "Let's hang later." She nods a farewell to Alana before walking forward, making her way to Jefferson and Victoria. Alana tears her gaze away as she looks back at Kate. She watches her for a moment.

"Kate—"

"It's nothing," Kate interrupts. She looks up, meeting Alana's gaze evenly. She notices her eyes are watering slightly. "It really is nothing, Lana. Don't mind me. Just…" Her voice cuts off and she looks to her left, as if contemplating something. "Just don't ask about me, okay? You should go with Max…I think I'll just hang here."

Alana frowns slightly. "Are you sure?"

Kate looks up, forcing another smile. This one is sad, unsure. "Yes…I'll text you later, okay?"

Alana hesitates, but noticing the expression on Kate's face, she decides it's best to listen to her request now and pester her later. She nods, gripping her shoulder tightly, before slinging her bag over her shoulder, rising to her feet as she makes her way towards Jefferson and Victoria. Max has already left the classroom, and Alana barely catches her figure before she exits behind the door. She looks back at Jefferson and Victoria. She's leaning against the counter table, pointing to a bunch of papers, while Jefferson nods every now and then.

"Some greeting you gave me back there," Alana says, stepping forward. Jefferson and Victoria both look back. He still has a wary look on his face, but Victoria is much more welcoming. She grins broadly, holding out her arms.

"When were you gonna text me and say you're back, girl?" Alana smiles slightly as she hugs Victoria back. She grunts from her friend's tight grip before pulling away, shrugging.

"I wanted to surprise my Uncle first." She looks back at him. He leans against his desk.

"Well, you certainly did." He coughs, as if feeling awkward with this situation, before asking, "Were you considering the Everyday Heroes contest?"

Victoria rolls her eyes. "Oh, please, she should be banned from entering. No one would stand a chance." She shoots a pointed look Alana's way, but the gesture is all good-natured. Much different than how she had treated Max. Alana shifts on her feet, wondering how much Victoria has changed since she was gone.

"I wasn't actually going to enter," Alana says. Jefferson lets out a sigh.

"First Max dropping it, now you?" His jaw clenches, as if he's holding back on saying something important, before he adds, "Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me." His voice is discreet, as if he's said this to all of his students. Alana watches him carefully before nodding shortly.

"Whatever you say, _Mr. Jefferson._ " She smirks again, before glancing Victoria's way. "Text me later, whore."

"No problem, bitchface," Victoria responds, laughing slightly before Alana turns on her heel, heading out of the door. She slips her headphones on, turning up the music of her iPod, wanting to drown out the sounds in the hallway as she walks forward. She nods to a few students who pass by, recognizing her, but she doesn't stop to make small conversation.

Alana is content on making her way to the girl's bathroom to check her face, since she is beginning to grow self-conscious from all the stares of fellow students. She grips tightly onto her bag, wondering why everyone is watching her walk, and she stumbles forward. She stops at her locker, opening it for no reason, before glancing to her left. The poster of Rachel Amber is still taped to the wall. She stares at it, feeling angry, before reaching forward and snatching it from the wall, crumpling it up into a ball before tossing it into her empty locker. She never should have left. If she didn't, maybe she could have talked Rachel out of whatever stupid shit that got her in trouble.

As she thinks harder about it, Alana can barely remember _why_ she even left in the first place. The last thing she can remember is the Vortex Party, a blur about a viral video going around the school, and yelling at Nathan about something. She stares at her empty locker, gripping tightly onto its door, before she slams it shut. The sound manages to echo in her ears despite the loud lyrics of _Stressed Out_. Ironic, how that song was playing right at this moment. Alana surely was feeling stressed out.

"Lana, what the actual fuck?" She feels a tap against her shoulder, and somehow manages to distinguish the voice as none other than Jaslyn, her younger sister by five minutes. She blinks, staring at her twin, before grinning widely. "You couldn't even send me a goddamned text or some shit?"

Alana frowns slightly. Jazz hardly swore. Like, _ever_. What happened now? Alana tries to recall the last time she had a conversation with her sister, but everything is a blur. She's pulled into a tight hug, and she's barely able to process this thought, but manages to hug her sibling back. Jazz pulls away, still grinning.

"Did you at least tell Cora? I mean, we're triplets, needless to say. We should know this shit. Or at least, sense it."

Alana nods slowly, still confused. Where was Coraline?

"Trying to make out with Warren," answers Jaslyn, startling Alana. She stares at her sister before the blonde cheekily grins. She gestures to her ears. Alana pauses her music, taking out one ear bud. "Too bad she hasn't realized that he's got his eyes _set_ on Max Caulfield."

Alana nods slowly. Her brows are still knitted in confusion, though. Jazz notices this, still grinning. "It's great to have you back, Lana. Thank God. Maybe Victoria will finally get her shit together."

Remembering Victoria's attitude, Alana nods again. "Yeah, what happened to her? She's like, on _total_ fucking bitch mode."

Jaslyn shrugs. "Dunno. I always thought she was a total fucking bitch, but it's whatever, you know? But, like I said. You're here now, so she'll _hopefully_ calm her tits. _Hopefully_."

Alana nods slowly. "Where's Nathan?"

Jaslyn raises an eyebrow. "Prescott? Why do you wanna see him? Thought you told him to _fucking piss off_ the last time you saw him."

She frowns, her head beginning to pound. "To be honest, I don't remember a lot of things. Do I have amnesia or something?"

"No, what the hell, Lana?" Jazz frowns. "You're acting pretty fuckin' weird. Are you high? Lord, is _that_ why you want to see Nathan? What kind of drugs is he giving you?" She steps forward, causing Alana to back into her locker. The door of it hits her head harshly. She curses, bringing a hand up to rub the stinging area, before glaring pointedly at her younger sister.

"I don't do drugs, Jazz."

"How would you know? You said you don't remember anything," Jaslyn points out. Alana sighs loudly.

"I know for a fact I don't snort marijuana."

Jaslyn huffs irritably, rolling her eyes. "You don't _snort_ marijuana, Lana. You _smoke_ it. Jesus Christ—you hang out with a Prescott and you would think you know how these drugs are used—"

"Jaslyn."

She meets her gaze, blinking her blue eyes. Alana bites her lip. She can't remember the last time she looked into Jaslyn's eyes. Blue, the color of the sea, and their mother's eyes. Jaslyn was the only lucky one to gain that genetic—both Alana and Coraline got the dark hair and dark eyes, like their father. Jaslyn, however, got the blue eyes, and even went the distance to dye her hair a platinum blonde color because " _it's what the cool kids do_ ". Even Coraline had messed with her dark hair, dip-dying the ends purple before Alana got the chance to. _What a fuckin' bitch_.

As Alana thinks longer, she realizes that she can't remember the _last_ conversation she had with Jaslyn…let alone Coraline. She can barely remember the Vortex Party that Nathan had _begged_ her to go to. He even said he would let her into the VIP section, despite the fact she wasn't a part of the Club. Alana doesn't remember _what_ convinced her fully to go with Nathan to the party, but the longer and harder she tries to think about it, the more her head feels like it's going to explode.

"Well, I'll see you later, Lana. You're acting weird again," Jaslyn says, gaining her attention. Alana blinks, bringing a hand to her throbbing head as she nods to her sister.

"Yeah, sure…"

"No, seriously. If Cora or I find out that you're doing _fucking_ drugs and getting kinky then I swear to God we'll—"

"I know the drill, Jazz. Get the hell out." Alana smiles good-naturedly, meeting her sister's gaze, before she sighs, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. Don't do crack." She points, giving Alana a warning look, before smirking.

"I thought _I_ was older than you."

Jaslyn looks over her shoulder, smirking. "Yeah, well, it be like that sometimes!" She waves her arms, shrugging.

"Whatever the hell that means!" Alana shrugs, grinning after her twin. Jaslyn waves her hand again, turning around, before disappearing amongst the crowd. Alana turns back to her locker. She frowns, noticing the door is halfway open. She's about to close it, then decides to check it once more. She doesn't know _why_ she wants to look into her empty locker. She pushes aside the crumpled _MISSING_ poster of Rachel before finding a folded piece of paper sitting on the small shelf of her locker. She frowns, staring at it, before pulling it out. She opens it, her eyes widening.

 _THEDARKROOMTHEDARKROOMTHEDARKROOM_ is written over and over again in black charcoal. Half of it is smeared from being folded. Alana continues to stare at it feeling chills rush through her spine, before a sharp sting pinches at her head again. She gasps, gripping the side of her head as she staggers from the sudden hit of pain. She leans against her locker, unable to stand, until it finally passes. She blinks, eyes narrowed from the sudden outburst, as she stares blankly.

"What the fuck," she mutters. She grips the paper tightly, staring at it again, before tossing it into her locker, slamming the door shut. She tries her hardest not to think about what was going on, but her head continues to throb and her questions continue to rise: why can't she remember shit? Why does her head hurt so damn much? _And more importantly_ , she thinks, as she makes her way to the girl's bathroom, _what the hell is the dark room_?

— _yay this is finally out! i'd like to thank arcadiatrash & Malgrain for reviewing, and the rest of you for favouriting & following! i hope you'll enjoy this first chapter. if you want to make your own theories and comments about alana's appearance (or what you generally thought about this chapter) leave them down in the reviews. if you have a _really _good theory you'd like to discuss with me personally, feel free to PM me! i hope i made this as mysterious as i want it to be, but then again, it could be pretty obvious like some of the LiS episodes. ALSO: this will have major spoilers for the past four episodes out, so if you haven't watched them yet, viewer discretion is advised (? do i use that in this context?). again, thanks for reading, & don't forget to leave a review! i read them all, and they make me super happy:-) this is my first time writing a fanfic based off a game, so i had to rewatch the first episode to get some of the dialogue down, haha. ALSO IMPORTANT NOTE: this symbol (_ _) means that this chapter happens before past events. this symbol_ (◀) _means that things have occurred BEFORE the first episode, chrysalis, meaning events such as Rachel amber attending Blackwell/The Vortex Party Kate was drugged at, etc.  
thanks again for reading! hope you all have a lovely day (highly doubt any of you are reading this tho aha)._


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